Fence



w. GHUROHMAN. 'Fen0e..

No. 238,348. Patented March 1,1881.

WITNESSES g INVENTOR I J v ATTORNEY N, PETERS. PHOTO-UTNOGRAPHER,WASDHNGTON, I)v C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

WILLIAM OHURGHMAN, OF BRYAN, OHIO.

FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 238,348, dated March 1, 1.881.

Application filed January 17, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM OHURCHMAN, of Bryan, in the county of Williams and State of Ohio, have invented a new and valuable Improvement in Iortable Fences; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a representation of a side view of my improved fence at a corner, and Fig. 2 is a top view thereof.

This invention relates to portable fences; and it consists in the improvements in the construction of the same hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the annexed drawings the letters A A designate two adjoining panels of a fence composed of the parallel longitudinal rails eV and vertical bars or uprights a, properly secured together. The lapped ends b of these panels rest upon the transverse sills B, as do also the single panels, and are held against lateral displacement by means of the pins I), forced into perforations in the sills at each side of the panels close up against the lower rails a thereof. With the single panels I use a glutblock, 'n. The panels are held down upon the sills by means of the wire ties 0, passed over the lower rail, as at i, looped around the sill, drawn taut, and looped or twisted around the body of the wire, as shown at t". The ends of the sills B are also provided with longitudinal slots 8, for the reception of the oblique dovetail tenons d of the props O. Theseprops are forked at their upper ends, and are brought together to receive the top rails of the fencepanels, whereby the weight of said panels causes the tenons to be forced into the slots of the sill, thus forming a complete locking device and holding the panels in an upright position and preventing them from being overthrown by the wind or by stock. The dovetail form of the tenon enables the props to be readily put in place and removed, the tenons having room for vibratory motion in the slots of the sills. As shown in Fig. 1, the ends of the props rest upon the ground with the lower ends of the tenons bearing against the slot ends, and the said tenons being oblique to the lengthof the props, the latter are incapable of endwise displacement.

It will be seen that the panels are incapable, under ordinary strain, of any displacement whatever when secured to the sills and propped as aforesaid. In turning corners, one of the panels bounding the angle is provided with eyes seat a suitable distance apart, with which the pintles m on the adjoining panels are engaged, thus coupling the corner panels together, the fence being then continued either way in the manner above set forth, as far as may be desired. When it is desired to take down the fence, the ties are first loosened and the panels raised successively, when the forked ends of the props become disengaged from the top rails of the said panels, and may be readily detached from the transverse sills. The panels, sills, props, and ties may then be arranged in bundles and transferred from place to place in compact form.

I am well aware that it is not new to notch the sides of the upper ends of oblique props, and that wire ties have been used in fences; and I am also aware that dovetail tenons have been used at the lower ends of props whose upper ends are pivoted to uprights; and I do not claim such devices.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a portable fence, and in combination withthe sills B and the bottom boards of adjoining panels, the wire tie 0, passed around the bottom boards of the panels, encircling the sill B, and having its ends looped around its body portion, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM GHURGHMAN.

Witnesses T. O. WILLIAMS, J. T. MATTOOKS. 

